The present invention relates to the countertop industry. More particularly, the present invention relates to mounting sinks to counters and countertops.
Conventional methods of and systems for attaching an undercounter sink to the underneath side of a counter, especially when the counter is made of granite or another hard surface, are time consuming and often subject to failure due to human error. In one conventional system, a sink is attached to a counter using clips, typically supplied with the sink, that require drilling into the hard surface of the counter with an oversize diamond drill, inserting a threaded insert into the hole drilled therein utilizing a two-part epoxy, and then attaching the sink to the threaded insert with a screw and a clip to clamp the sink into place. This conventional system is time-consuming to install, and overtightening of the screw may cause the insert to pull out of the counter, while attaching the screw and the clip in the confined space under the counter is often difficult.
Another conventional system requires undercutting a slot into the hard material of the countertop and then inserting a special fastener into the slot. The sink is fit over the fastener, and then a clip and nut are required to clamp the sink to the countertop by the fastener. This system creates a strong clamping of the sink, but is also difficult and time-consuming to implement, while the equipment necessary to cut the slot is also expensive.
In another conventional system, special studs are glued to the underside of the countertop using a two-part epoxy, and the sink is held to the counter by tightening a clip and nut to the studs similar to the systems described above. In this system, the sink is directly attached to the counter only by gluing means, which creates reliability problems. Implementation of this system is also difficult to perform in confined spaces, such as when the countertop is attached to the counter prior to installation of the sink
Another known method is to build a wooden cradle under the countertop for the sink to rest upon. In addition to being labor-intensive, this method typically renders the sink non-removable from the countertop.
A similar conventional method is to hang the sink on a wire sling attached to the base of the counter cabinet. This method, however, is also very time-consuming to implement, and difficult to standardize among sinks and cabinets of varying size.
A still further method of attaching a sink to a granite or stone countertop requires first cutting slots into the underside of the countertop to accept “L” shaped spring clips. Such spring clips, however, usually require at least two pieces, and must be hammered into place, which is very difficult in the confined space under the sink. This method is costly, and moreover, the required hammering action risks damaging the sink and countertop material. Additionally, extreme care must be taken when cutting the slots, which must be perpendicular to the surface of the countertop, or the countertop could be mined.